The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-05
1.-THE PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC OF
SCIENCE"

0OIANOAI
This is the title of a well. written
paper, by Rev. William Tucker, D. D.,
read before the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, and
published in Mind and Nature, of this
city. We give an abstract:
Science has its philosophy, and it's
logic. There are certain principles and
facts in mans nature and the universe
that underlie all science, and the exist
ence of which makes all science possible.
The knowledge of these principles and
facts constitutes the philosophy of sci
ence, and the method of their use in
the study of nature constitutes its logic.
''Science is knowledge, but is knowl-
edge possible to man. Can the human
mind attain certainty By law of
necessity the mind seeks to know, and
desires certainty. The conscious unity
of mind gives the assurance that mans
capacity to learn must be equal to his
desire to know; and if so, the knowl-
edge so much desired is attainable.
Since the God of nature universally
makes provisions for all our natural
wants, this appears to guarantee to
man the attainment of the knowledge
demanded by his intellectual, rational
and moral nature. Otherwise the law
which we find in all other departments
of life fails when it comes to mans
highest wants. This being true it
would destroy the unity of nature, and
leave instead universal chaos.
"But consciousness, experience, and
history, prove both ability and attain
ment of knowledge. This knowledge
is not infinite, because man is not an
infinite being. This knowledge is con-
ditional and relative, because man is a
conditional and relative being but it
is real, true, certain and practical. Sci
ence does not claim to be infallible.
But because man does not know every
thing, we are not to conclude that he
does not know anything. Science is
human in it's origin and partakes of
mans imperfections. Certainty of
knowledge is found in the fact that
mans intellect and reason are reliable
faculties for the investigation of nat
ural phenomena. This we assume in
our efforts to interpret the facts of nat
ure. If the knowing faculty is unrelia-
BILE, certainty of knowledge to man is
impossible. Scientific knowledge is the
outcome of mans faith in his own
senses, intellect, memory, reason and
imagination. Science is therefore really
grounded in faith. The first step in
scientific investigation is an act of faith.
Faith in man and in nature lies at the
foundation of all true science.
"The thought revealed in nature
must be like mans thought, or he could
not understand it. Mind in nature
must be like mind in man, or he could
not interpret it. The order of nature
must be adjusted to the reason of man,
or he could not see and admire it. Sci
ence is the Interpretation of the thought
relations of the universe. For this
there must be an established harmony
between nature and man, this enables
the reason of man to give law to the
phenomena of nature.
"The basis of all knowledge is found
in the trustworthiness of mans nature.
The personal, conscious intelligence is
therefore the one common element in
all forms Of human knowledge. Science
has been created by man. 1t is mans
of the universe-hisr read
ing of the thought of God in nature.
Man interprets nature by principles and
laws which he derives from his own in
telligence and conscious action. These
thought relations are interpreted by
ideas derived from his conscious exer-
else of force in every act of will. The
reason and the will of man thus be-
come real factors in science of great |
practical Importance.
"The logic of science is the method |
Of investigation, and is both inductive |
and experimental. 1t consists of OBJ
comparison, inference, inter-
probation and verifcation. Hypothesis
Is the great logical instrument. Nearly
all the great discoveries in science have
been made in this way. In inductive
reasoning we pass from the particular
% the general, which is the reverse of
deduction. Deductive logic is based
lpon the law of thought, that the whole
contains all the parts. InductiVe logic
S based on the law that every part is
necessary to form the whole; being